Stop Everything You're Doing and Insure Your Photography Gear

Stop Everything You're Doing and Insure Your Photography Gear

One minute you're in the middle of photographing one of the most beautiful landscapes you've ever seen. The next minute your camera is on the ground, broken. 

A gust of wind lifted your tripod off its feet and sent the camera to its death. You don't have a second body (because let's face it, gear is expensive) and you have no money to buy another right away. The closest thing you've ever had to a child just died, and now you're screwed. What do you do besides immediately break down into a swimming pool filled with your own tears? 

You should have insured your gear. 

Unfortunately, this story isn't fiction. Just two years ago this happened to me. I was photographing winter's transition to spring from New York's eleventh tallest mountain. The air was relatively calm, and it was even slightly warm for a mid-march Adirondack day. I had just set up my tripod and was about to capture a new composition when a group of hikers reached the summit after completing one of the gnarlier routes up Mt. Colden. They were stoked and I was stoked for them. 

"Hey, would you mind taking our picture with my phone?" one of the men asked nicely while staring wide-eyed at my "big fancy camera." 

"Yea, you look like you know what you're doing!" another exclaimed. 

Hah, I thought I did! 

I had turned my back on my tripod for just one second in order to take a picture of the hiking group with different scenery behind them. As soon as I started walking toward them to give the phone back, their eyes darted beyond me and looked startled. 

"OHHHHH NOOOO!" was all they yelled. 

I didn't know what was happening until hearing a small crash as I turned around to see my camera smash into the rocky summit while the lens flew off in the other direction. 

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash.

I had just purchased my new (and first professional full frame camera and lens) Nikon D750 and Nikon 24-70 only a few months back, and now they were dead. Toast. Zilch. The battery-side of the camera was completely wrecked; the lens was mangled. The camera wouldn't even turn on. My baby showed no sign of life. 

I hiked the entire eight miles back to my car while recounting every second leading up to the moment of my camera's death. Normally I would've weighted the tripod or set it down on a flat surface before walking away. I honestly would've done literally anything to reverse what ended up being reality. 

I even shed a tear or two. I was a nearly-broke college student. I just spent almost all of my savings on the gear (probably not the smartest decision but... priorities) and had no money to buy a new camera. 

And then I remembered my gear was insured! The day was saved! My insurance company reimbursed me for the broken camera and lens, and a new baby was purchased (Because kids, that's how babies are made). 

I learned from my mistake and can now confidently say I never have or never will again turn my back on my mounted tripod. 

Moral of the story: It's not fun watching your camera - possibly your most prized-possession and money-maker - shatter and become inoperable. Insure your gear. 

Lead photo by Arno Body on Unsplash.

Tim Behuniak's picture

Timothy Behuniak is a Salt Lake City-based landscape and outdoor adventure photographer who's passionate about getting lost in the woods with his camera. Tim's hope is that his viewers, like him, will one day love and fight to protect the beautiful locations he is fortunate to photograph.

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